In 1844, a young man in Shiraz, Iran, began sharing a message with the world around him. His message was one of religious unity, humanitarian principles, and love for humankind, and He gained a significant following. His followers gave him the title of 'The Báb' (pronounced 'BOB'), which means "the gate" in Persian. This title refers to part of The Báb's message, which was that His own revelation was the forerunner of another divine teacher of God who had been foretold in scriptures of many other religions.

The Báb and His followers were feared to be heretics, despite their positive message. The Shah (meaning "king"), the government, and the clergy of Iran persecuted these early Baha'is relentlessly, eventually executing over 20 000 followers of The Báb

The Báb was eventually executed by the state on 9 July 1850.

One of The Báb's followers was a man named Mirza Husayn-Ali, who became somewhat of a natural leader of the Baha'is after the execution of The Báb. The government continued to persecute the Baha'is, accusing them of heresy and plans to overthrow the government; these accusations were entirely unfounded. Mirza Husayn-Ali and the other Baha'is were exiled to a series of places in the middle east. In all of these places, the Baha'is and Mirza Husayn-Ali gained a reputation for their loving kindness and wisdom, and compassion for humanity.

Husayn-Ali continued to stand out from the Baha'is as a respected and beloved leader. It became recognized by Himself and by others soon enough that He was in fact the divine teacher whose arrival had been promised by the Báb. Husayn-Ali was given the title 'Bahá'u'lláh'
(pronounced 'ba - HA - oh - la'), which means "Glory of God".

During His exiles, Bahá'u'lláh wrote a number of letters, including some to various world leaders such as the Czar of Russia and Queen Victoria of England. Bahá'u'lláh also wrote two books, called by Baha'is The Most Holy Book (Kitáb-i-Aqdas) and The Book of Certitude (Kitáb-i-Íqán). He also wrote a series of tablets expounding upon His teachings of unity and world harmony, as well as countless letters and various correspondences.

Bahá'u'lláh was eventually imprisoned in Akka, the penal colony of Israel, and remained in prison (and finally under permanent house
arrest) throughout his life. He died in 1892, from an illness that was worsened by the effects that came from a life of harsh treatment, from exile and imprisonment, as well as a number of attempts on His life with poison.

Despite the constant persecution, the Baha'i Faith continued to grow in every way. The people of Akka grew friendly with the Baha'is, who had gained a reputation in the city as being loving and kind people.

Bahá'u'lláh appointed a successor, his son 'Abdu'l-Baha, who traveled worldwide and helped establish Baha'is in communities throughout the world. 'Abdu'l-Baha's grandson, Shoghi Effendi, became the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith after 'Abdu'l-Baha's death in 1921. Shoghi Effendi basically set up the Baha'i Administrative Order about which Bahá'u'lláh had written.

The Baha'i Administrative Order consists of a number of assemblies of people. In each region, nine people are elected by the local Baha'is to serve on what is called the Local Spiritual Assembly, which provides guidance to that community (for example, there is a Peterborough Local Spiritual Assembly, made up of nine elected members, that guides the actions of the rest of the Peterborough Baha'i community). Baha'i elections are much different from regular election, because there is no campaigning whatsoever. Each Baha'i must elect, in form of a secret ballot, nine people that he truly believes would be an asset to the well-being of the community.

On a larger scale, a National Spiritual Assembly, also made up of nine elected members, provides guidance to the Baha'is of each country. And finally, delegates from National Spiritual Assemblies must elect nine members of what is called the Universal House of Justice, which serves to guide the Baha'is of the entire world. The Universal House of Justice can be found in Haifa, Israel, at the Baha'i World Centre.

This Administrative Order, or system of guidance, is not the same as a clergy. Each individual, rather than being 'governed', must take their own spiritual life into their own hands, and must seek the truth for himself. The Spiritual Assemblies and the Universal House of Justice provide guidance, and support the Baha'i communities and individuals. They help maintain unity of purpose, but do not have direct influence in the spiritual lives of the individual believers.

For more information on the history of the Baha'i Faith or the Administrative Order, see www.bahai.org or e-mail abs@trentu.ca to find out about events hosted by the Trent Association for Baha'i Studies. Be sure to check out our links page too.